How To Build a Loyal Customer Base Using Podcasts

If you’re a business owner with a functioning heartbeat and a sufficient brain capacity, you’ve stumbled across the age-old question we all wrestle with: “How the hell do I get more clients/customers?” Clients means revenue and revenue means freedom. Get there and you can get anywhere (like, literally). But the very first step, that all important leap towards financial security, sucks. It really sucks. Because getting clients can be a really painful and awful process. Luckily, there are plenty of available ways to reduce that pain and streamline the process. Let’s dive into a particularly effective strategy that can significantly advance your quest toward a loyal customer base.

First, let’s review the foundational premise. In order for anyone to buy anything from you, they need to know who you are and be listening to what you have to say. In other words, you need an audience before you can have customers. Some of the best brands in the world are experts at building an obsessive fan base (think Apple…when they put out a new product, there’s a segment of their audience that will buy it no matter what because it’s Apple. That’s power, right there.) Now big companies will use paid advertising on billboards, TV, Facebook ads and other mediums to build their audience. But you can do it with a blog, an email list, or a YouTube channel. You can build yours wherever you can be heard by your prospects.

In recent years, another medium has begun to mature and it is one of the most effective ways to build a truly authentic audience. Technically, podcasting has been around since the iPod era (remember those?). But like many things, technology has revolutionized how we listen to and produce podcasts, which has resulted in an explosion of content. Time and time again, podcasting has proved to be an effective tool to grow an audience that (literally) listens to every word you say. Why is that? What makes podcasting different?

Well, in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the first of what would be many “Fireside Chats”; radio broadcasts directly from the President of the United States to the people of the nation. It was unfamiliar for many to have such an intimate view into the president’s world, and it felt like the president was in your living room, chatting by the fire. There’s just something about hearing someone’s voice over the airwaves (or Internet) that makes you feel like they’re talking directly to you. Something deep in our subconscious enables us to build a deeper connection over the airwaves because it feels like a conversation.

The conversation element explains why podcasts have become so successful. Podcasts hosts are able to deliver valuable content in a format that has worked extraordinarily well for nearly 100 years, thus building a relationship that’s not possible over any other medium. Text based communication (like this blog) lack the nuances and tones of speech. Videos are amazing tools, but you have to stop and set aside time to watch them. You can listen to podcasts while driving, working, and exercising, you name it.

The core advantage of podcasts is that it engages your audience in a unique way that helps you build a relationship. The glue of society is relationship. Business owners make money because they build relationships. Government officials are elected because of relationships. Happiness in life is intimately connected with the quality of relationships in your life, as research has shown over and over again. For business people, the ability to craft an authentic and strong relationship is what will bring you success. And if you can do that at scale, you’re halfway to victory.

It’s been said a million times, but the cliché is true: people do business with those they know, like and trust. Podcasting introduces you to your audience, lets them get to know you and like you, and if you’re consistent, you can build trust as well. With a tool like this at your disposal, you have the power to build a fan base that will be happy to pay for the products and services you provide. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and speak.

If you want to get started with your podcast, head over to MyCast.io for some great resources on how to make the most out of your podcast!